I, Bonnie: KTR
by Alice Shade
Summary: Bonnie's point of view. Unsuccessful admission of love leads into a weird relationship. Rating had been upped, considering the opinion of readers.


None of the characters belong to me, and all they are used by me for entertainment purposes only. If you think you want to write sequel, prequel or whatnot, feel free to, through I have no idea, what can you make out of it.

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KIM

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I always wanted something... Popularity, boyfriends, respect, clout... And what I want, I get. That is, while I keep my expectations in check. When I allow myself to dream, I get smashed face-first in table. Often, more painful then literally. Learned that long ago - and I keep my head down to earth. Perhaps, I'm keeping myself lower, then I should, but old habits die hard - when you're pounded day by day in the ground, it's hard to stretch after.

But the thing is, that now I desire something... and that's not same as wanting. Or should I say - somebody? Sad thing is, I can't admit to it, or even act to it. Because if I do, it'll all hit the fan. I could deal with that, but I have no idea, what would be later, and that scares me somewhat. If I play my cards wrong, I might even end up as persona non grata till I graduate and move interstate. And any way I'll slice it, I'll lose a good deal of potential boyfriends, and maybe some friends, such as they are, now.

On the other hand, I might try to make it cloak† style. Noone has to know, except for persons involved... Just one glitch to that - what if person involved would like to blab it? A risk... On the other hand, I can always claim it to be lie, and take moral high ground.

Ugh... Who am I fooling? I'm planning the confession of love, and I try to persuade myself that I took all risks to account? Getting old, BonBon? You know you'd go ahead and do it, even if it'll be a whole-school gossip for next year. You never before hesitated before asking somebody out...

True, but I never asked a girl out before. And if you add that she's Kim Possible, you'll get all the components for Molotov cocktail. I'll have to get around slow. Like, start from small things, for starters. I put love note in her locker today... A rose will be tomorrow... And we'll see, where thing'll take us from here.

Oops?! Don't tell me I zoned out in the middle of practice!.. I did. Damn.

"Hey, Bonnie!? What happened to you?" - of course, she had to say that, with that cute worried face.

"Worry nothing, I'm fine..." - I said, a little awkward, but good enough to wave them all off. Not that I wanted to wave off HER, but... what else can I do? Cry out - "Oh, Kimmie, I just realised that I love you?" That'd be a lie - I was attracted to her long ago.

Ok, practice was over. We went back to locker room. Nothing spectacular... Well, except for showers, that is. One of the reasons I got into a cheerleading - the opportunity to admire a dosen good-shaped pretty naked girls at once. Not that I won't admire good-shaped handsome boys, of course.

I lingered in the locker room - just for a second, so Kim would get to her locker before me.I wanted to pass by her in the moment of reading the note. Maybe say a good word. Alas, Kim's been more stupid, then I thought - that's why I had to resort to direct measures. I played a role of popular girl in forbidden love long enough for anybody to understand. Alas, nobody did - maybe because nobody cared to think, at all. Well... Tara did caught up some - she did asked me once, if I have a crush on Kim, a long time ago. But Kim was and is still ignorant.

But, I'm not made of steel - I can't wait for her forever. And if Mohammed won't come to mountain, then mountain will come to Mohammed. So, I conjured all of this plan, and I've been giving Kim a lot of slack lately - enough even for her to see the difference.

I strolled by Kim's locker, as she was unwrapping the note. Of course, I stopped and looked - I took time making sure it was love note. Why girls think it's cute, when note is splattered with hearts so much you can't see words, is beyond me, but I know for a fact, that it's considered cute. I myself would like to get an eloquently written letter much more...

Oh well. What's Kim doing? She read the note, ah... So?

"Hey, Kim, someone wrote you a love note?" - come on, it was perfectly justifiable question. She turned around and frowned to me. Cute.

"Isn't it from some geek?" - I asked, come on, I had to maintain my image at least a bit - it would be suspicious, if I suddenly started getting chummy with Kim, she would think I'm trying to con her into or out of something. She shrugged and put it in her book.

"It's not signed." - she replied simply, and smiled, adding - "But I think I know who is it from!"

I shrugged in my turn, but didn't said anything. Rather, I turned and walked away. I got those kinds of messages, too, but it was rarely something worthwhile behind those notes. And I knew that Kim knew it too... Or did she?

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By the end of next day, I didn't knew, weather to laugh or cry. Was Kim taking her wish for reality, or was it a work of rumour mill, but there was already a rumour, that Josh Mankey sent Kim love letter. Well... Actually, rumours were that Josh sent something - ranging from a cute love note to a wedding ring. The most popular was the version of romantic painting. Oh, for heaven's sake!

I knew Josh well enough to know that it wasn't like him at all, and that he'd think it's uncool, but a rumour mill knew no mercy. I was sorry that I subjected Josh to this, but you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg. Anyway, he had to suffer for a week at most - I wasn't going to hold up long on confessions. Just long enough to demonstrate everybody a translation period.

I went home, as soon as my school obligations were over. It wasn't hard to sneak a rose in Kim's locker - just before the last period. Perhaps, if somebody could see me with a rose in school, all my play would be blown up, but, of course, I wasn't taking chances - I brought rose late in evening previous day, when nobody could see me. It was ridiculously easy to break in school, and not much harder to get out without leaving traces. Perhaps, the most logical thing to do would be to put it in Kim's locker, so she would find it in the morning, but that was hazardous. Mostly, due to a simple fact, that she'd knew it was practically impossible to put it in her locker without getting noticed in the morning, and she'd've launched a full-scale investigation, if it happened.

So I stashed it in my locker instead, and faked a female trouble in the middle of second to last period. I didn't had this class with Kim, and there was virtually no chance she could tie me to an appearance of the rose.

According to my further plans, I had to give Kim a day or two of slack. I wanted her to puzzle, what to do with a key I tied to rose. I tried to make it as obvious as I could, that key is crucial. I hoped with all my heart that she would realise the importance of it, and won't throw it away.

When Kim appeared after the last period with the rose, it was great. Whatever she thought, she wasn't turned off by that "secret admirer" business. On the other hand, I could bet noone can figure me out. Ho-boy, was I ever more wrong?

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Next day was as usual, as it could get, if you won't count my even more lenient attitude towards Kim. I was letting her more and more slack. She did treated me a micron better too. What should be awaited from Kim Possible. Rumour mill was in full power, and now there was also talk that Kim's secret admirer wasn't Josh. But noone knew for certain, and everybody was babbling versions and possibilities. In short, almost every guy in school was nominated for role - and some of the teachers too. I laughed for a full minute, when I was told it was Mr. Barkin.

There was one version, that it was Ron, which struck me as something I'd seriously considered, if I didn't knew the truth. There was even one thing, that might've tipped Kim in that direction - key head was shaped as R litera. R means Ron, right? Of course, it also means Rockwaller.

I abstained from much gossiping, doing only as much as it would take not to stand out among girls. Of course, I had to - if I wouldn't, it would be a dead giveaway that I know more about it, then others.

Maybe, I'd even tried to tip off Kim in the right direction today, but she was whisked out by some military guys right from fifth period. Since I decided to make a pause anyway, it played into my hands.

After that, Kim didn't showed up in school altogether, along with Ron. Of course, it sprouted forth a new batch of rumours - because now Ron was nominated as a main candidate for secret admirer. Officially, it was said, that they are on a long mission to save world from a horde of genetic mutants. We even saw those mutants in a newsflash. Of course, Kim was a full-blown picture on the main screen, with some insignificant shadow behind her - Ron. What struck me as odd, was that they were reported to battle those mutants heroically and with great difficulty, while it was obvious, that they just needed an airhorn. Come on, wasn't that hard to realise, that creatures with ears almost bigger then heads were supposed to be vulnerable to loud sounds? I bet if Kim would just scream once, it would be more then enough to drive them off for good.

Of course, rumour mill worked relentless. Rumours were wide - from romantic stories about Kim finally realising Ron's selfless love, and readiness to give up his life for her, to broken-dreamed tales of Ron's crushed heart, and Kim throwing him aside like a used napkin. Of course, noone realised, that Ron never did anything - at least anything I knew. It was just a speculation. I added my two cents, sending around a rumour, that Kim and Ron had an extremely harrowing moment together, but realised, that they will forever be friends and friends only. Among everybody's imagination's running wild, it wasn't even noticed.

Tara's version was overly romantic - so romantic, that I felt a false behind it. Noone else did, through... I think. But I was sure, that it wasn't Tara's opinion. I mean, come on... Who runs off to marry, while still in high school, when your parents are so used to seeing you together, that they don't mind you having a sleepover alone together?

After school, Tara tagged along. I could see, that she's stalling at my locker after classes, so, naturally, I invited her over. Whatever she wanted, I could fit her in my schedule. After all, all I had to to today was finish my little projects, and I could talk to her, while soldering. She didn't minded - as long as I did it on the table and she was on bed.

We weren't talking while I drove to my home - Tara wasn't very talkative today, and I knew better then try to push her - whenever she was pushed, it ended up unpretty. So what if it's not a word!

I signed, as I pulled in the driveway. From what I've gathered, Tara was in need of consoling - she was this silent only when she was upset, and didn't knew what to do. I figured I'd hug her several times, today - just as a pick-up measure. Make her feel loved, you know? Contrary to common thought, I have heart too - but I don't let it out too often. Would I go soft, schoolfolk will start wiping feet on me, and I was never somebody's doormat. I may be hammered down, but I'm never bent or broken. Sometimes, I act out a failure - just so I won't stand out. Because I don't want to ruin Kim's game - thus, she's ought to beat me sometimes, and visibly humiliate me. I get back at her, but much rarer, then she wins - and not that I want to.

Tara's another story - I let her in much further, then anybody else. She's the only one in school, who has at least an approximate idea of my talents in redioelectronics field. My family... well, they know, that I tinker a lot with wires, but I never let any of them see something more complicated then simple bulb&bell-on-button-with-battery assemblage. And they think it's something I pretend to do to come off smarter and more complicated.

Tara's also the only one, who knows me as me, not as a popular girl, or as a bitch queen. I asked her long ago, not to act too familiar to me in public, and she did. I dunno, why - but she wasn't even offended by it.

We got out of car, and went to my room. House was noisy - all my sisters and mother were home too. Hiding out in my room was best option, and we did so. Tara was never big on hearing some bad-natured family chew-out, so she was as glad as me, when we locked the door in my room, and I sat at the table. She flopped on my bed, while I plugged in my soldering iron and got out some tin and rosin. I'd bet even Kim's pocket hacker would saluvate over stuff I had. But it was expencive like hell - my ultrasonic soldering iron alone cost me about my year's allowance. Too good I was no longer dependant from it, by that time.

Tara waited even more. But I wasn't going to push her - I always gave her time, when we were alone. When I started trying out aerial contour with my tester, Tara signed behind my back. I frowned - I knew this type of sign. It meant, that Tara was thinking that I am doing something wrong.

"Yeah, T?" - I dunno, why, but I liked calling her T in private. Maybe because she was my tee a lot of times - a starting point, from where I swung to skies and above. If I were to count all ideas she had given me, I'd be counting all day and night. She never objected to that, too.

I heard Tara sign once again, then she asked me, slightly halting - "BonBon, only honestly... It was you, who put note and flower in Kim's locker, right?"

I shrugged - "Why do you think so?"

She shuffled on my bed, probabily fidgeting, or maybe getting comfortable, and replied - "I recognised your handwriting, and..."

I queried patiently - "And what?", while trying to make a drop of tin fall into a place. It was a few seconds, before Tara replied.

"....Um... I saw the key Kim has now in your room before." - she sounded as if she wasn't sure, weather to tell me or not. But, in the same time I knew, that she was ironclad-certain in her conclusions - something not so often for her.

"Oh well... Ok, yeah. I did put note and rose in Kim's locker, T." - I replied, placing the button in place, and preparing to solder it in the circuit. Judging by the sounds, she stood up from the bed, and walked behind me.

"Why did you do that? To one-up her?" - she asked.

I signed, and replied - "Not really. I'm planning on confessing to her."

Tara gasped behind my back, then gushed - "You really do? Ooh, that's so cool!"

I blinked - "T, I thought you're not very big on same-sex relationships. Remember that exchange girl?"

I could practically hear her shrug - "I didn't liked her as a person, not because she was a girl. But really, BonBon, it's marvelous that you decided to come out!"

I put down my soldering iron, turned around and made timeout sign with my arms.

"Whoa there, T! I'm not lesbian. I like guys too. I just happen to have a soft spot for a certain redhead." - my explanation was easy, after all, if I couldn't trust Tara, then who?

She put her hands on my shoulders - "BonBon, who cares, who you love, as long as you do love somebody?"

I shook my head - "T, that would be marvelous, if I could be sure, that Kim would even consider this. For all I know, she might just smile and say she doesn't swing that way."

Tara shrugged - "Well, that can happen. But at least, now you'll know for sure. Don't be afraid, BonBon, I think everything's going to be OK."

I signed - "You would. I'll never know, how can you be so optimistic."

Tara winced momentarily, then smiled - "I just don't let bad things get to me."

"For long, you mean." - I corrected her, remembering times when she was practically, and sometimes literally, crying, in my arms. Amasingly, how easy she came to me next day and said that I was right, and that she was stupid again, and cried over something not even worth mentioning. What's bugged me sometimes, that she said that even when I myself thought that the situation rates some crying - like the time when she met a guy from another school, liked him, agreed to go on a date with him, and he practically raped her. She stumbled on my porch about two at night, sobbing, and half-naked. From what I understood, she managed to break free, because guy got scared, when cops passed by. I practically forced her into my room and in my bed. Tara wasn't even talking coherently, at that time. Eventually, I fell asleep, still hugging her, mainly because she started to cry when I tried to go on the floor.

What I didn't expected, was that next day she woke up almost OK. Well, she called guy a jerk, which in her case equaled to me belting somebody in the jaw. But apart from that, she was like nothing had happened, if only was saying thanks to me too much. Well, maybe Tara was a saint - I wouldn't forgive anything even remotely resembling this. I knew for sure I wasn't - and I got back on him, for Tara, in spades.

It wasn't hard to - I went to internet cafe, looked up some information on his car, and it was all I needed. After that, it was child's play. He smoked, and it made my task easier. All I had to do, was to follow him to his house, and use one of my little toys to analyse his remote radio signal to open garage door. Next day, three in the morning, I showed up, opened his garage with 'borrowed' signal, and worked on his car some - used the tube for windscreen sprayer to connect gasoline pump output with dashboard cavities. Modern cars, with all the soundproof stuff, perfect for me - dashboard was sealed off from the car salon. All I had to do then was to attach two wires to the contacts of car lighter. Maybe I would fail, or even get caught, if he'd locked the car, but he didn't. I didn't cared, if he'll die or no. All I wanted was to assure that no girl will ever go out with him again.

It was an all-around story next day - my trap worked exactly like I wanted. Some good people dragged the bastard out of the car before he burned alive, but not fast enough to save him from extencive burns. Middleton's finest even haven't got around to questioning Tara, much less me. I think the only one who even suspected me was Tara herself. But she never said anything about this, or treated me any different - so I assumed, that she haven't figured it out too.

Tara looked me square in the eye, and asked - "BonBon, everything's going to be OK. It's always so. After all, who can resist you?"

I smiled at her. As nasty as world could be, nothing could douse Tara's sunshine for long - she always perked me up.

"We'll see, where days will take us, T." - I replied.

She smiled and pointed on my table - "What are you making, BonBon?"

"Scrambler." - I replied simply.

She frowned - "I think you're doing it wrong, BonBon. I have scrambler at home, and there are no wires on it. Are you sure your resistors won't mess up eggs?"

I stared at her dumbly for a few seconds, trying to find words to answer, until I noticed edges of wily smirk coming out.

"By the Ohm's law, T! Don't scare me like that." - I exclaimed, and she smirked.

"Honestly, BonBon, what are you making?" - she asked me, this time seriously.

"Radioscrambler, T. It's supposed to jam all radio talks in sixty foot radius." - I explained.

"All radio?" - she asked.

I nodded - "Yeah. See the aerial? It's supposed to give out very wide signal, to jam everything radio. Walky-talkies, AM and FM radio, cellphones, everything. I want it to create a circle of total radio silence."

She nodded - "Another of your black market wares? This thing sounds like something spy would use."

I shook my head - "No, it's for me."

Tara looked on me quissically - "What do you need it for? And isn't it illegal?"

I shrugged - "I don't know, if it's illegal or not... And I'll need it only once or twice, probabily."

She still looked quissically - "But what for?"

I signed - "T, I want to talk to Kim in private. This means I don't want anybody hearing what am I going to say. Kim's deep in all that crimefighting business - how do I know that nobody monitors her? I don't want some criminal using me to get to Kim, or getting involved with any government guys."

Tara nodded seriously. For a few seconds, she wasn't doing anything, but then asked - "Don't you think you take it too serious?"

I turned back to my table meanwhile. It wasn't a new idea to me, I thought so too, but I knew, that doing something without plan was a sure-fire way to lose.

"T, what if I not? I can always loosen up later, but if I get sloppy now, later it would go downhill for sure." - I replied to her.

She sprawled back on my bed - "But you make it sound like it's a covert operation, not a love confession."

I chuckled mirthlessly - "For now, it is covert operation. As far as I know school... If Kim will learn about my feelings in some other way then directly from me, it's going to be very ugly. Remember that freshman guy? He practically got declared a stalker, and only because he didn't had the nerve to confess before rumour mill started working. Now nobody wants to even talk with him, because everybody thinks he's some kind of desperate loser who stalks girls. And that's a guy who likes a girl. Now what do you think would happen, if a rumour of a popular girl loving another popular girl starts?"

I heard her shudder on the bed.

"Exactly." - I agreed, - "I won't even go into what will be happening to me, but if Kim gets involved in this, the only way for her to remain popular would be to competely spurn me and act towards me like I got a plague. Care to wager, what will be her choice - me or popularity?"

Tara coughed. But didn't said a thing. Really, what could she say? Even with her pink glasses, she could see that I was right.

We didn't returned to this topic after that. Tara stayed for supper, which I, customarily, had half an hour later then my siblings and mother. Then, I drove her home.

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Next morning was the morning of D-day to me - that would be the day of my confession to Kim Possible. Step one would be confession itself. Step two - proof, that it was me all along. That's where key came into play. It was the only key from my box, where I kept copy of note I slipped to Kim, and golden doubleheart charm. I made the charm myself, after a long chain of messes. Actual molding of a double-heart was not very hard, once I learned how to, using tin as a practice material. But painting a photorealistic image on me and Kim on hearts was difficult. I spent two months, each evening devoting four hours to it. It really helped me out, that I got the idea from seeing Josh making a locket. I quite easily got him to show me the ropes. But the actual painting was difficult. I was assumed to be very easy with relationships in school, so I invested a deep symbolism in this one, to demonstrate my serious intentions towards it. Come on, no guy could even boast of having a romantic photo with me, much less anything else. This charm... I made it with hope - so I attached two chains to it, it could be broken in halfs, and worn by two people. But I didn't expected it to see action anytime soon. It's time would come much later, when and if, I'll have relationship with Kim, and it'll be strong and comfortable enough.

Anyway, the main purpose of a box was to serve as a proof, that it was my key attached to the rose. A correct reply to password, if you want a spy reference. Anyway... I decided to leave box at home - no use to bring it to school. It would be much easier to bring Kim here, so she can open the box herself.

I drove to school early - I wanted to catch Kim before school, so she'd have the time to think things out while sitting through periods. Kim was to school right on time usually, which was fine with me - it left me at least two minutes of her attention - more then enough for me to say all that I wanted. I was standing on steps, when I saw her strolling to the doors. I hurried to her.

"Hey, Kim! Wait a second. I need to talk to you!" - I said loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough for anybody else to point more then stray glance on me.

She frowned - "Can't it wait, Bonnie? I have only..."

Her face fell slightly, as she looked on her watch, and finished somewhat lamely - "...thirteen minutes till first period."

I shook my head - "Look, Kim, I have to talk to you. It's important. Can't we step aside?"

She signed, and nodded - "Only for a minute."

I nodded too, and walked away from school doors, where we still could be seen, but not heard. I would've prefered total privacy, but there were two reasons, why I chose to stay where we could be seen. Kim wouldn't come to me in anyplace secluded, I presumed, for starters. And even if she would... I saw Tara looking out for me, and I wanted to stay in her direct view. I could bet she was worried.

"So, what did you needed, Bonnie?" - asked Kim, tapping her foot impatiently. She followed me, and stopped two feet away from me, close enough so I could hug her, would I want to. And I want... That'll not be approapriate right now, through.

"Hey, Kim... I know, who sent you note and rose." - I said, as my hands dove into pockets. I saw her hand going into her pocket too, with a corner of my eye, in almost the same moment.

"Hmm... And who do you think he was?" - she said cautiously. I felt the sting of electric current with my index finger. Radio transmission, from Kim! I didn't liked it any bit. Well, I foresaw this. I pushed my finger down, pressing the button. It stuck with infinitesmall click.

"Me!" - I breathed out. She blinked. Then, her eyes narrowed - in a way she always did, when she said something nasty.

"You." - she spat it out. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. I nodded.

"You bitch. I really thought we started to grow out of our rivalry. You just couldn't let me live freely, could you?" - she said acidly.

I shook my head - "Look, Kim, I don't want to one-up you, prank you, or somehow embarass you. I'm tired of our squabbles. Don't want to be enemies with you anymore. All cards on table - I've been in love with you for some time, and this is all for real. I have proof that it was me, who put note and rose in your locker."

She hissed - "Why did you dragged Ron into this?"

I blinked - "Ron? How? I haven't even talked to him since last practice."

She hissed again - "Don't play stupid! Key's head is R-shaped!"

I signed - "Kim, must I remind you, what's my name? Bonnie Rrrrockwaller."

That knocked her out of root. I turned to the side, while she thought this over, and smiled to Tara. She smiled back. Alas, that diverted my attention for too much. Stars exploded before my eyes, and I fell flat on my ass. What the hell? I shook my head to stop ringing and blinked. My left cheek stinged. Did she just slapped me?

"You dirty slut!" - she yelled at me. Conclusion? I failed. Either Kim haven't grown tired of fighting with me yet, either she was homophobe. Anyway, she was rejecting me in the worst way possible. I would've cried, if I still remembered how. Alas, only crying I could do was acting. I knew, that pressing the confession further was moot. For any of the reasons, she wasn't ready to accept my affection. She rejected me. I lost.

I signed - the only show of emotions I allowed myself to show. As much as I hoped, that I won't need plan B, I had to use it now. Plan B was mostly damage control - steps to render confession useless as a weapon against me. I cursed myself thousands of times, while I thought it over, but it was necessary. I put on my best shocked face, and asked aloud - "What the hell?"

There were people running to us already - Tara being first of them. I pressed the button in my pocket again. It unstuck and popped out, and I felt another sting of current - transmission still running. I took my hands out of my pockets, finally, and said angrily, holding my cheek - "Are you freaking nuts, Possible?", loud enough for everybody to hear us.

She yelled on me - "Shut up, you whore!"

I kept sitting on the ground. Right now, I was a victim, still. Tara skidded to halt beside me, and cried out - "What's going on?"

I quipped - "No idea."

Kim screamed - "Oh, no fucking idea, yeah?! You nickel-plated cunt!"

She turned to face Tara and said - "She's lesbian, that's what's going on!"

Tara looked down on me - I shook my head. Tara looked back straight and said - "Are you sure, Kim?"

She screamed back - "Yes, I'm damn well sure!"

I, still sitting on ground, smiled crookedly.

"So that's why you called yesterday." - I said, - "To frame me today? Well, that ain't that easy, sucker."

People started whispering as Kim yelled - "I CALLED YOU, YOU FUCKING LIAR?"

I rubbed my cheek, and stood up - "Allright, Kim, I'm calling your bluff. I dare you - give some proof that I am lesbian. Right here, right now, in front of everybody!"

I saw a lot of faces, but her grin frightened me - I haven't saw such a malice in all my life.

"Gladly!" - she hissed, and whipped out her communication gismo.

"Wade, give me a playback of the file I just recorded!" - she ordered into it. Loud static filled the air, then stopped, and we all heard the voice - "Sorry, Kim. Transmission was jammed somehow, you'll have to rerecord it."

Her face fell. Fell so fully and thoroughly, that I laughed.

"Oh, it seems like your pocket hacker couldn't fake my voice for you in time?" - I mocked. People around started snickering at her. Kim looked very pissed off.

I shrugged, and stepped closer - "Come on, Kim. Why did you had to pull this stupid stunt?"

I paused, to give everybody a second to think, then continued, in colder voice - "Or did you decided to stab me in the back, while I agreed to truce?"

Whispers deepened around us. I signed, and rubbed my cheek again - "Look, Possible. I'll overlook your transgression, just this once, because I am very tired of this crap. But if you as much as cough in my side again, I'm going to put you in a pine box, figuratively."

These last words were a damage to my reputation, but I couldn't bring myself to lower the hammer on Kim. Granted, she tried to slap me down, but... I still harbored some hope, that she can be reverted. I played my rivalry with her long enough to believe, that she was playing too. In my mind, I knew, that she hated me - in my heart, I hoped that she didn't.

What was there else to do? I even haven't noticed, that Tara followed me, as I went away from seething Kim.

I realised it only when Tara whispered in my ear - "Gods, BonBon, I'm so sorry!"

I whispered back - "I'll live. Don't blow the cover, OK?"

She breathed "Yeah." in my ear, and stepped down the hall, while I continued to my class. I did my best so noone would notice, that there was something different to me. It took all my skill in acting, but I pulled it off - barely. It really helped me, that I learned long ago to stifle my real emotions, and hide them under a thick shell of mean airheadly bimbo routine.

Inside, I wasn't doing cartwheels, of course. Frankily, I grimly concentrated on my lessons, to avoid nagging voice in my head, which told me, that I knew that it all would end up this way, that I wasn't expecting Kim to accept me, that I preplanned the rejection, and made it happen long before I even uttered something.

Outside, I was Bonnie, inside I was a wreck. Of course, wreck only by my standarts - to Tara that would be a minor freakout, approximately, but I was always emotionally retentive. I viewed it as a boon. If I wouldn't be able to choke myself, I would be freaky laughingstock of school by now. Of course, once I'll get out of school, it'll be a hell to pay... Even more so, considering the blow I landed to Kim's popularity. If my goal was a lost cause before, it's become doubly so, now - no mistake, if she didn't, Kim hates me now. Logical - if you took a chance to slap somebody down in such a fashion, which would totally destroy person's life, if succeeded, you ought to have this person on position one in your shitlist, with a bullet, after she dumped your load of dirt you meant for her on your own head.

I wasn't afraid of Kim deciding to get back kinetically - I wasn't helpless either, and while I didn't hopped around fighting loads of cooky villains, I sparred every other day on tatami. I didn't feared Kim getting back via her clout at school, either - I had a lot on influence too, and after today, Kim's stocks would be too down for her to actually threaten me. Would we be alone, Kim could make a rumour out of it, but we were seen all-time by at least two dosens people, some of them with sufficient clout themselves.

No, my fear wasn't Kim. I was afraid of myself - because I knew, that eventually, I must let my emotions out, or they will eat me alive. I already tried to bottle everything, back then I was in middle school. Eventually, I turned so weird, that my mother started talking about insitutionalising me. After I heard it, I slipped next day in the window, and walked all night aimlessly around the town. I wasn't planning on stopping, but I stumbled upon a long-winded party somewhere in suburb at about four in the morning. That kind of gave me a wake-up call - when I broke 2x4 on some drunk guy's head and then had to run for half a mile to ditch his buddies. I got back at home at seven in the morning, all dirty and tired like a dog. Good thing it was summer - I slept all next day and night.

Ever since then, I was spending a night wandering town, when I've got too much on my heart. Lately, when I got some forged IDs, I started to hang out at bars instead - getting drunk proved to be a good measure to unload the crap. I usually sat in the corner, loading up on beer, then got myself a bottle of something stronger, like vine or liquor, and began a long track home. By my usual three in the morning, when I came back home, bottle was empty and discarded, and I was drunk just a tiny bit not enough to be unable to unlock the door.

Today's happenings were sure to drive me to bottle, and probabily, for two or three days at row. And I didn't wanted to think about it - because I would curse myself millions of times later. No need to call in additional cursing.

I signed, as I walked out of the school doors into the parking lot. Tara was waiting for me at my locker, but I excused myself, and said that I have to take care of provate business after school. And that was true - I was going home, to dump my bag, then I was gone, gone, gone, disappeared in a crowd till tomorrow. Homework could wait - it was a weekend, and even if I wouldn't do it at all, not trouble - while I wasn't straight-A student, as Kim, I was good enough to ask for extension, or survive an F without any lasting consequences.

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TARA

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It was pretty late, already, I noticed absendmindedly, as I sat in the dark corner of "Fleas and Bottle" bar. I was frequenting this bar, sometimes on business, sometimes, just as a quiet place to think. It was across the flea market (hence the name), and customers weren't rowdy, usually. It was almost empty anyway - me, a couple sitting at the door, two lone gentledrifters, who didn't looked like they wanted any company, and piss-drunk old guy, who told his war stories to nobody in partcular, in stumbling voice.

I was on my third beer, and on threehundred thirty third round of internal berating of myself. Could bet, that I'll go at least double of this, not before long. I sipped flat beer, and signed. Time - I had plenty, so much, I had no idea, what to do with it. All I wanted was to stare on my bottle, and wonder, when my sorrows will finally drown in it... Up to now, they drunk the bottle and stood on the bottom, smiling. I could almost see sneering Kim in my bottle - an image, which made my blood run cold.

Somebody slipped behind my table, and took a seat in front of me, facing me. By all the romantic laws, I should've jumped up, shout - "KIM!", and then weep my heartbreak story to the one, who'd be there instead of her. But I didn't. I knew, that it wasn't Kim. Goody-goody Kim Possible had no business in a "Fleas and Bottle" - she nor drank, nor made semi-illegal minor deals. Mind you, semi-illegal. You couldn't buy drugs or guns here. But you had a good chance to find a guy, who'd offer you a bottle of concentrated acid, or a handful of lab-grade ionistors, or some silver wiring, or dactyloscopic paint, or... You get the drift. The stuff, which isn't highly illegal, but just rare to find legally.

I figured, that somebody needed 'special' wirework again. And barkeep directed her to me. Wait, her? I finally took my eyes off the bottle, and looked forward. Weirdly, it was the first time in a long while I ever stared in Tara's eyes. Tara... Figures. She knew about this place, she knew I hang out here sometimes. I took her here once - when we were freshmen. We broke her mom's antique hair-curler, and needed new resistor pronto, so I could fix it before her mom would come back - because we didn't asked if we can use it, and didn't realised it needed an adaptor, because it was designed for 127V instead of 220V. The only trouble was, that we needed an equally antique resistor - one of those, which weren't manufactured for at least fifty years already. Luckily, 'Junk' Pete was present, and he had suitable resistors.

So... Tara. I had no idea, what to say, or even how to behave. Should I be glad or angry? Pencive, or animated? Gloomy, or joyful? Desperate or hopeful? Smart or idiotic? For all I tried, I couldn't think about it.

"T..." - I even wondered for a second, who said this, before I realised it was my own husky voice.

"BonBon." - she said simply, and put her hands around mine, which were around the bottle.

I shook my head - "T... What happened?"

She said - "I phoned to Monique after first period. Told her all that story."

My eyes snapped wide open. That was devious - because rumours will be over whole school in a day, tops. Monique was a natural gossip, and while she or Kim would realise, what is happening, the story would be all over the school and neighbourhood.

"Whoa. Nifty." - I sounded like Ron, but come on - I was drunk and surprised.

Tara nodded firmly - "Now whatever happens, noone will believe Kim, if she'll be claiming you lesbian."

I said - "Thanks.", quietly. Tara shrugged.

"Think nothing of it." - she said, - "Kim deserved that."

I shook my head - "What about me? Without my meddling, Kim won't even be in this situation."

Tara shook her head too - "BonBon, I know you like her, but she was really mean to you. She could've turned you down in calm and civil way, but instead, she chose to try to embarass you in front of whole school. But there is justice in the world, so now she's getting her comeuppance for doing something so monumentally mean."

I shrugged - "Come on, then every cheerleader is mean, you and me included."

She blinked - "What do you mean?"

I chuckled mirthlessly - "Remember Ron? Every girl in high school ridiculed him at least once, when he was asking her out."

Tara blinked again, then slapped her hand to her mouth - "Omigosh, I haven't realised... I should be kinder to him."

I nodded - "You and me too. Funny, I only now realised, how badly he must be feeling himself - and the trouble is that he isn't that bad of a guy."

Tara giggled - "Well, he can cook like a god!"

"Cook?" - I didn't got it.

She giggled again - "Remember, when we had this assignment, on home economy? To buy products and cook a dinner? Well, he cooked, and I never ate anything tastier before. He's made it better, then chef in 'Ches Paris'!"

I nodded wisely, and tried to lift my bottle. Because Tara still held my hands, I ended up slamming bottle back on table.

"No, no, no! That's quite enough hor you!" - she chided, trying to pry the bottle out of my hands.

"Come on! I want to finish it!" - I protested.

She looked in it, and then said furtively - "How about a deal? You finish it, but then we go right back to your home?"

I wasn't in the mood for wanderings, now, so I easily agreed. Tara let go of my hands, I chugged the bottle down, and tossed it in the wastebucket. Kevin the barkeep turned around, to check on the noise, and shook his head.

"Goddammit, Bonfire! Do you have hollow leg, or what?" - he asked.

Tara looked on me, then on barkeep, then back on me, then back on barkeep.

"Is anything wrong, mister?" - she squeaked. I saw she was scared, but still she stuck up for me.

Kevin shook his head - "Hey, chill, kid... She's your friend, Bonfire?"

"Ya, Kevin, she's mine. Don't mess with her, capice?" - I was friendly with Kevin of course, but Tara didn't knew it.

"Sheesh, of course I won't. Don't want ya taking me head off with another bloody bottle toss of yours." - he groused.

I smirked, and tossed twenty on the counter.

"That ought to cover today aplenty. Put the rest on tab, OK?" - I quipped, motioning Tara to come closer. Kevin signed theatrically, and swept the bill under the counter.

"Bonfire, why the hell can't you keep negative tab, like all normal people?" - he asked me for umpteenth time.

"I like to be original, you know. Besides, I like to come here and pretend to tap a keg 'for free', sometimes." - I explained for umpteenth time, and took Tara's hand in mine.

"See ya, Kevin!" - I said, heading for the door.

He send me off with - "Bon Soir!" in my back.

Tara kept her word, and made me go directly home. It wasn't too near, so I got almost sober, while we went. I wasn't that drunk in first place, anyway. We swapped ocassional words, but mostly, just walked. I dunno about Tara, but her presence alone was calming enough for me. I felt myself safe near her - why, I had no idea.

We reached the doorstoop of my home, at last. Tara stood silently behind me, while I was unlocking the door. I turned to her, as the door swung open. Unexpectantly to me, she hugged me, and murmured in my ear - "I'm so sorry it happened, BonBon."

I shrugged into her hug - "Come on, T. It's not your fault."

She practically mewed - "I told you it would be OK, and it's not."

I signed, noticing with some sort of joy, that she wasn't going to let me go.

"T... I wish I'd confessed to you instead of Kim..." - I mumbled, instantly shutting up, when I realised, what was I saying.

She leaned back just a bit, so she could look into my eyes - "Bonbon? Are you serious?"

I made a big mistake of looking into her eyes. I couldn't look away.

"T... You're gorgeous." - I croaked. My throat was dry, as if I haven't drunk three half-liters of beer just half an hour ago. Was it just me, or she looked sultry in the moonlight? As cliche as it is...

"Really, BonBon?" - she whispered. Seemingly, the answer wasn't needed - suddenly, we were kissing hungrily. I couldn't explain, why did I do this, much less, why did Tara do this. It wasn't important even.

We broke off, looking on each other, and panting slightly. I think it was my personal record of kiss length - it was at least three full minutes. Tara shuffled her foot, and said uncertainly - "Uh... Well... See you tomorrow?"

She started to go down the porch, when I whispered - "Don't go..."

She turned around, and asked - "BonBon?"

I shook my head - "Please, don't go..."

She reasked - "BonBon..?!"

I repeated - "Please."

Maybe, if I would be thinking, I wouldn't've said that, but I wasn't thinking at the time, thankfully. And even if I did, would it matter, really?

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Next morning was eventful. My folks haven't noticed a thing - Tara had sleepovers here plenty of times, so they didn't saw anything unusual in her presence in my room at night. I always locked my room at night, too, so that wasn't a question too.

But I had serious doubts at to what to do with Tara and how to deal with what happened. I remembered all I did yesterday with crystal clarity, but I was very unsure at how to interpret it. I practically begged Tara to stay, but on other hand, it was a mutual kiss. I had no idea, what Tara thought about that, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out.

One thing was sure, through - our relationship changed. We couldn't go back to being just buddies, could we? Well, theoretically we could, but on other hand, did we wanted to? I didn't. I never felt myself as warm and fuzzy, as I did this morning. One thing I knew, that Tara did that of her own accord - and I did my best to persuade her, that she's not mistaken.

I was lucky to wake up earlier then her - poor girl was so tired from last night, that she didn't woke up even when I started disentangling myself from her and sheets. It was Saturday today, about eleven in the morning. Nobody was in the house, except me and Tara.

I opened my wardrobe, and looked in the home clothes. There they are, my bathrobes. I was completely naked, save for hoops in my ears. And I didn't wanted to wander around Tara naked, at least yet, until I knew, where we stood. But in the same time, I didn't wanted to get clothed - that struck me as like giving Tara a cold shoulder, for some reason. So bathrobe was a suitable alternative to being clothed - I wasn't naked, and looked decent, but in the same time, could 'unwrap the goods' with just a few motions. I put the second bathrobe at the bed, so Tara'll have something to dress in, when she'll wake up. Our clothes were scattered all over the room, and I decided not to clean it up yet - the whole assemblage looked kind of cute, from perversed viewpoint.

I decided to go make some breakfast, while Tara slept - since we were doing cliches, I thought, that another would do nicely. It wasn't any hard - I knew, what Tara liked. In a few, I was all set. Armed with this knowledge, and a tray of snackage, I shuffled back to my room.

Back there, I set tray on the table, and went to the bed. In my absence, Tara hed curled into a ball, only a foot sticking out from under the blanket, besides the hair. I giggled, and tickled her foot. She pulled it under the blanket, and mumbled - "BonBon, just a moment..."

I did a double take. What the hell was that? She sounded like she woke up by my side for an ethernity. Just then, she shot up straight on bed, and looked around frantically.

"I'm up, mom, honest!" - she mewed, trying to brush stray hair out of her eyes. I gave up and laughed. She looked around wildly, then stopped her gaze on me. I looked back, still smiling. She blushed so hard it went down her neck and chest - something I could see clearly, since she was sitting straight, and blanket was only covering her lap.

"Omigosh! BonBon?" - she squeaked, and grabbed blanket, to cover her breasts. Too bad she grabbed it bundled, and when she yanked it up, it revealed her legs, fullsize. I snatched a bathrobe I pulled earlier for her, and draped it around her.

Tara wrestled her arms in sleeeves, madly, blushing even harder, jumped up, and tied the robe - almost tieing blanket too, in process. I could see she worked herself almost to the point of nervous breakdown already. Something had to be done. Too bad I had no idea, what.

Usually, I just had to hug her to calm her down - maybe it'll work now too? Having no better ideas, I stepped up to her, and put my arms around her. She tried to pull away, but I had none of that. In a few seconds, she stopped struggling, and looked on me.

"Bonbon... I..." - she stumbled quite a bit.

"Shh... It's all right, it's all OK, T." - I shushed her.

She struggled with words again - "BonBon... I I never... I... love... BonBon, I... Really..."

I made her seat on the bed, and put an arm around her shoulders.

"T, relax. If anything, I ought to kiss your feet... And I think I already did some of that last night, yeah?" - I said, snuggling her against me - just a teensy bit more then friendly.

That silenced her for a few minutes. Then, she asked uncertainly - "So, you're not angry at me?"

I jumped a bit in surprise - "Angry?! T, what are you talking about?"

She looked down on floor, and said quietly - "At me, for that. I'm not as good as Kim, I just took advantage of you, while you was drunk."

I reasked her - "You're not good as who?"

She looked back on me, and I could swear, there were tears - "As Kim. I know you wanted her to be with you, but I just wanted to make you happy, and I wasn't thinking, and..."

I cut her off - "T, you're confuzing me. Who are you talking about?"

Her eyebrow arched in question - "Kim Possible, BonBon. You..."

I cut her off again - "T, I don't know any Kim Possible."

She blinked - "Huh? BonBon, she's on cheerleader squad with us. Are you OK, BonBon?"

I smiled, and nodded to her - "I'm very fine, T. Very-very. But I think, you had mixed something up."

She frowned in confusion - "But, BonBon, I'm pretty sure that you was drinking yesterday because of it..."

I laughed a little - "That was yesterday, T. Today, I don't know any Kim Possible, and never did."

She gasped - "BonBon?!"

I smiled to her, and kissed her nose - "That's a little unexpected, really. But there's nothing we can't make work, right?"

Tara blushed - "BonBon... Ah, to the heck with it! I'm in, for good or bad!"

I laughed - "T, relax. Just because we're closer friends today, then before, and something besides friends, you don't have to do things with such reckless abandon. Do you really think it would really change something between us? Granted, we might do things we haven't done before, and we'll be hanging out even more often, of course."

She made some weird movement with her shoulders.

"BonBon, I... I'm sorry!" - and she burst to tears.

Good thing that I wasn't expecting anything. Perhaps, Tara decided to back out of it, while nothing bad happened. No trouble. I can't demand any more of her, can I? She already gave me more, then any superhero could. I patted her head, and asked - "What, T?"

She sobbed out - "I should've said earlier, but I thought you were going to be with her, and I was so happy for you, and... Oh, BonBon, I shouldn't have egged you to go after her."

I snorted - "Come on, T, you can't claim it was all YOUR fault, can you?"

She turned to me - "You don't understand, BonBon! I wanted to be your girlfriend for almost a year now! But you was always gaga over Kim in your closet, so I thought you'll be happy with her, someday."

I blinked - "Why haven't you said something?"

She didn't replied.

I slowly nodded - "You wanted me to guess myself, kind of I wanted Kim to guess about me?"

She nodded.

"And when I gave up on that, told Kim flat-out, and she rejected me, you made your move?" - I continued.

She shook her head - "No, I couldn't do it, I was scared. You helped me along."

I shrugged - "I'll be damned if I'll ever understand, how love works. It's a total blackbox. One thing certain, through - it always breaks out to be not what you imagined at first. Well, in my case, at least."

Tara stood up, picked up tissue from a box on my counter, and started wiping her eyes.

"Bon..." - her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, and started again - "BonBon, what will happen now?"

I shrugged again - "Now, we'll eat, and talk around everything we could think of, then we'll drink coffee, and talk around it again."

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We spend a whole weekend, settling in, and talking things over. Of course, neither of us wanted to sit at house, so we went around the town. Useful and pleasant, all in one. I couldn't say any of us really had anything planned, so we talked mostly of a spur of a moment. There were several potentially slippery topics. For example, the question about boyfriends - neither of us was lesbian, and in my opinion, there was no sence to limit our opportunities in heterosexual dating, just because we had each other. Tara asked me, wouldn't I get jealous, and this sprouted forward an agreement, where we said that we might share boyfriends. I wondered, what did Tara wanted from boys - just dating, or she was considering sleeping with them? And in latter case, what would she think of the possibility of having sex with me AND a guy, together? That could wait, through - for all I knew, Tara might've limited her sexual relationships with me, or even with a null array of entities. Come to think of it, I didn't even asked, if she'd like to sleep with me some more times.

Anyway, now wasn't a good time to ask anything on those topics - in school, this would end in social death for both her and me. We acted as buddies - not differing from our previous routine. But we both knew, that there was something extra. I could see it in every her movement. As for Kim - I wasn't even interested about her, now. After she smashed me do thoroughly down, I wasn't going to give her another thought - because I was proud. Waiting for the bitch, when I had somebody so kind, waiting for me - that would be stupidity. And even if Kim would be willing to rebate for what she did, she already failed once, while Tara was flawless in my eyes.

In short, I did a complete turn from Kim to Tara - and I was sure, that it is all right.

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RON.

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I happened to see Ron today in a mood, he rarely showed to anyone - anger. I started to cut him slack in the same time, as I started to go soft on Kim, but while I assumed armed neutrality with Kim, I continued to be more or less amiable to Ron - as far as it could go without damaging my reputation. In short, I stopped calling him names, like loser of freak, stopped complaining about his pet, and started calling him by his name. As easygoing, as Ron usually is, he fit in this new attitude with no problems, getting into a habit of complimenting me during this week. Not that I minded.

I also made some research about him, and was quite surprised at a result. As far as I understood, most of his outcast status came from facts - he never fought back actively, no matter, what happened; Kim was his alpha and omega authority; he had childish attitude to life and didn't bothered to assume 'grown-up' mantle; he was considered a geek.

I didn't knew, what to do with results at the moment, so I just filed them in my brain. At first, I was just gathering intilligence on Kim's resources, just to be on safe side, but then I started to be genuinely interested. Apparently, if he'd have different conditioning in life, he would be alpha male of the school - he's got all what guys had, and some extra. And, what was even more interesting, I figured, that it wouldn't be too hard to make him into a guy every girl would swoon over, given some time, and some desire.

Today, he skipped past me after practice, and I thought for a second, that somebody dropped a lit cigarette in the back of his maskot costume - so fast he walked. Then I noticed pissed off Kim, hurrying to girls' locker room. Oh-uh. Kim's taking her frustration off on Ron. She was extremely bitchy to me, but I choze not to notice it. If she would go over borders, I'll give her a piece of mind, but while she's only nagging a little, that's OK. Just like it was before all that hassle.

I wondered, what did happened to Ron, through. The happenings forced me to look in a new way on him - I haven't realised what he might've been feeling over years of ridicule, until I was threatened with ridicule myself. There wasn't much I could do, but I could at least lend an ear to him. I was about to go after him, but then I realised, that he headed right for Bueno Nacho.

It would be easier for me to take my car and head home after, then return for my car to school, later. In the last second, I decided to bring Tara along too - she was good in positive talk. Besides, we could go out later. I managed to catch her at the gates of the school - lucky me. She was both hands for my idea, being a good soul she was, and had no objections to check up on Ron in Bueno Nacho.

We were there quite quick, almost coming there before Ron. On the way, we saw, what made Ron so reeled up - Josh passed by us in his car, Kim on the front seat. We continued to Bueno Nacho, while Josh swerved into a 'posh' part of town. We dawdled outside, just enough so Ron could get his food and land somewhere down. Then, we made our move. I went to get something to eat, while Tara looked around, and then sat bown at Ron's table - which wasn't a trouble since he was eating alone, save for his naked pet. While I was getting snackage, Tara struck a conversation with Ron. They talked seemingly of nothing in particular right now, and I could see, that Tara was just biding time till I'll catch up. Finally, I got my and Tara's orders, and went to the table.

"Hello, Ron. Why lone today?" - I quipped, sitting down besides Tara, and slipping an arm around her - the only sign of affection we allowed ourselves in or near school. Tara giggled and scooted closer.

"Hello, BonBon." - said Ron glumly.

I shrugged - "Kim's being insuffereble today?"

Ron frowned - "Hey, don't knock KP, BonBon!"

Tara said quickly, before I managed to say something - "No, no, Ron, she's not saying bad things about Kim."

I signed, and murmured - "Yeah, what she said."

Ron shrugged - "KP just needs time to herself."

I didn't believed him. He said that too dispassively, and his face was just a little bit too still to be natural. You just don't talk about your best friend with stony face.

I blinked - "Come on, Ron, it's not the first time, and you was pretty steamed back at school. What happened?"

Tara added - "Did you fought with Kim, Ron?"

His face darkened, and he replied before Tara even finished - "Look, not to be rude, but is that really your business?"

He paused for a moment, and added - "And, like I said, Kim just needs her time alone, nothing else."

I made hushing motion with my free hand - "Hey, Ron, chill. We're not here to mock you or anything. Besides, I think I knew, what happened. Kim ditched you for Josh today, right?"

Tara kicked me under the table. This kick meant - 'Not so blunt, he's got some feelings too!' In return I rubbed my leg against her, trying for a message - 'Come on, I can be nice too.' She rubbed back, then stepped on my toe warningly. This meant - 'I know, I know, but still, careful.'

While this went between us, Ron just stared somewhere behind our heads. Then, he dropped his head on the table, and mumbled - "Maybe."

Tara said seriously - "That's not very nice of her."

I nodded - "Word."

Ron suddenly snapped his head back and gave us both a hard glare - "Look, what do you want from me?! I'm a damned loser, go and talk to popular people!"

I could tell Tara was shocked from the outburst. I was pretty surprised myself.

"Whoa, chill, Ron, don't yell on us! What have we done to you?" - I realised it was stupid, as soon as it left my mouth.

Ron dropped his head back, and groused - "Look, just go away! I'm a loser, so leave me alone."

Tara extended her hand, and toussled his head shyly - "Ron, Ron, please. You're not that bad of a guy."

"Word." - I said.

His head snapped back again, this time so comically, that I barely stifled a giggle.

"What do you mean?" - he asked.

"What does it sounds like, Einstein?" - I asked, - "There are plenty of real losers without you."

He blinked, but said nothing. Tara chuckled - "What BonBon meant, is that you can be a nice guy, when you want to."

He looked sceptical.

"Why do you even bother talking with me?" - he asked.

I shrugged, and said - "Tara talks to you, because she's generally good person, and all-round saint, if you'll be looking closely. As for me... I have my reasons."

Tara nudged me - "Come on, BonBon, tell him!"

Ron blinked sheepishly - "Tell what?"

I signed - "T, if I'll mess it up, I'll eat you alive. In fact, I think I'll eat you alive anyway, for this."

By her almost embarassed laughter, she caught the joke in. Ron continued to look sheepish - he didn't got it.

"Look, Ron... I have nothing against you, personally. It's Kim I have beef with, and even with her, I kind of quit, lately. I think I gave you an undue amount of crap, and I'd like to apologise for that. It's partly my fault, that you're considered a loser in school, and I'd like to give you a hand in remedying that." - I said. Ron dropped nacho. His naked whoknowswhat chirped - "Whuhthuheck?"

Ron looked on me directly - "What's the catch, BonBon?"

I quirked my brow on him - "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's kind of unexpected, to hear this from you. Are you serious about that?" - he asked.

"Cross my heart, Ron. By Ohm's law, I swear." - I said.

Tara quipped - "I can wouch for that, Ron, she's dead serious."

Ron exclaimed - "Booyah!", but in such a quiet voice, that noone except us heard him.

I nodded - "It's settled, then, ah, Ron?"

He nodded back - "I dunno, what you're doing it for, but I'm game."

Tara chirped - "That's so good to hear. Ron, why don't you go along with us? We're going to hang out for a while."

Her leg crawled against mine, clearly relying - 'BonBon, please, go along with it, it's important.'

He snapped his eyes wide - "What do you mean, hang out? You mean, I can go hang out with you?"

I smiled to him, in the way that said - 'I'm willing to play nice, but only to some limit.'

"If you'll keep your hands to yourself, and won't try to flirt with us without permission, you're welcome." - I explained.

"Oh... Cool!" - he breathed out.

I said - "Finish your snacks, and come on out, we'll be waiting for you outside in my car."

We ourselves already finished what we had - mostly because we had light snackage, not the feast Ron usually ordered. He could raze it down to the plate in a matter of minutes, through.

I stole a kiss from Tara, while we were alone in the car. She stole once back, and I was about to go for more, when I remembered, that we were waiting for Ron. A few moments of frantic reapplying of lipstick followed. We barely managed to pull it off before Ron's arrival.

He peeked in inside the car, and waved to us. I rolled down the window, and ordered to him - "Get on the back seat, Ron."

He climbed in, and asked - "So, what do you want to do?"

I pondered for a second, then offered - "How about that? We grab your stuff, you both, camp in my house and do homework, then catch eight o'clock movie in drive-in, and then blow the night off."

Ron practically deflated.

"Uh... Homework?" - me moaned.

Tara looked back on him - "Come on, Ron, tomorrow's a school day. You can't miss your homework just like that. Don't worry, we'll help you out with it."

He visibly perked back - "Oh... Cool!"

I shook my finger on him - "But you'll be doing it on your own, we'll just HELP you, not do it for you."

He snorted - "I wouldn't dream of you doing my homework for me, BonBon."

I nodded - "So, are we cool?"

Ron quipped - "As cubes."

I looked on Tara, relaying - 'Are you sure?' she responded with an energeric nod - 'Oh course, I am!' That was good enough for me, and I turned ignition key.

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I quirked my brow at cinema hijinks. I forgot the name of flick already, it wasn't really important. Some romantic movie. I could appreciate the sentiment relayed, but in the same time took notice of blunders occured. As I understood, most people in love had a pathetic need to advertise it. And no, I don't mean confessing. But the protagonist of film told everybody, that he loved his best friend, who was a girl, save for the aforementioned best friend herself. That struck me as odd, and unrealistic, because protagonist resembled Ron very much. But as far as I understood, Ron would have hard time to admit any kind of romantic inclinations towards Kim even to himself, much less anybody else.

Movie just came to a part, where best friend was asked out by a jock, and ditched main hero. I stole a glance at Ron. He looked attentively, but I could see, he wasn't thinking happy-happy joy-joy thoughts right now. On his other side, Tara was fixed on a screen. (We haven't realised, what we did, until we ended up in that position - we with Tara were used to going out of our respective doors and taking a seat in the backseat, each from a respective side, as well. We just didn't took into the account Ron's presence, and he ended up between us. We didn't minded much, mainly because in his presence, there wasn't much we could do, which would require body contact.) Somewhere after the first thirty minutes, we with Tara each seized one of Ron's arms, and used them for headrests. He didn't seem to mind.

The movie took unexpected turn suddenly. I expected, in a classic movie traditions, to see main hero to do something stupid, yet incredibly heroic, and his best friend realising, that she loved him and only him all along, and all that junk. Instead, main hero was unexpectantly approached by his childhood nemesis, girl who constantly tormented him and put him down.

Ron's face turned incredibly curious at this turn, and he stared on the screen, like he wanted to burn the hole in it. Tara sneaked a glance in my side, to which I replied. We winked to each other, and crept upwards. I stuck out my tongue, and nodded in Ron's side. Tara smiled and nodded. I must've been rubbing off on Tara, because she kept getting bolder and bolder with each day. Yet, she managed to remain shy and sweet - and I'll be damned, if I'll claim I understand how.

We kept one eye on the screen each, and in the moment, when main hero was kissed by his nemesis, we made our move. Ron's yelp was heard in whole drive-in, seemed. He jumped up six inches straight, and would my car have fixed roof, he'd bang his head. I shook my head bemusedly, and Tara cutely blushed, when Ron landed back, and casted a multitude of startled looks on me and Tara. Come on, was it that bad? All we did was sticking our tongues in his ears. (By the way, he had suspiciously clean ears!)

I counted seconds, while Ron was trying to calm down enough to say anything. It took him more then three minutes to do so. By this time, Tara shooed away from him a little, and blushed harder. What can I say? I love provoking Tara into bold moves. And the look on Ron's face was just priceless.

"Whufthuhhuckduhyouhdohthuffoh?!" - he breathed out, red as a tomato.

I cooed - "Aww, come on, Ron..."

Tara chimed in from otherside - "Don't be so shy...", and blushed again.

Ron's eyes bulged out, and he whispered - "Whutaroudoin?!"

I gave him a pout - "Ron, Ron, Ron... Relax, and be cool. Remember? You're going to be a popular guy."

"And popular guys are used to that." - finished Tara for me. I stifled laugher, when I saw Ron getting purple. Luckily for him, his eyes stumbled upon his empty popcorn tube.

"Uh,Ikindaneedmorepopcorn!" - he said, and looked around panickily.

I signed, and opened my door.

"I'd be going to powder room, too. Tara, you'll survive a few on your own?" - I asked. She nodded enthusiastically. I stepped out of the car, and Ron practically vaulted out. I shut the door, winked to Tara, and hurried to catch up with Ron.

I caught up with him at the gates, where concessions were. He ducked in the men's room before I managed to call him. I shrugged, and went to girls' room, to do my business. There wasn't much to do, and I walked out in a minute. One glance, and I wished I'd stayed inside. There were two guys just behind the doors, and as soon as I walked out, one of them slurred - "Hey, babe, how about a quick fuck?"

What the hell, are they drunk, or what? Or just stupid? Anyway, I haven't saw anything so idiotic in some time. Dawdling with answer wasn't the best idea, through - idiots took that as a yes answer. I snapped at them - "Get away, you morons!"

One of them opened mouth to say something, but in the same moment, a door to men's room behind them opened, and out came none other, but Ron. He said - "Hey!", seeing the situation.

"Get lost, you faggot!" - said the one closer to him. Oh well... I'll have to beat up those two, to save Ron from ass-whooping. On other hand, just a second! My memory suddenly showed me an episode from several years ago, when I was twelve. Ron was getting another beating in school, and I remembered very well, how he suddenly kicked off one of the attackers, and nearly broke jaw to other one... He'd win the fight, if there wasn't a voice - "Don't you dare!"

Guess, who said it? None other, but Kim. Fight ended then, but it wasn't over. As far as I remember, this was the only time Ron tried to fight back, and Kim stopped him. I wonder, if she'd encouraged him, what would he do? Probabily, he'd be one of the most respected school guys by now. Question, however, is simple - if I try to get HIM to fight those two guys, will he? Of course, I'll see that he won't be hurt, but I want to know, does he has the guts to fight, or he is really a coward, as Possible sometimes claims him to be?

My thoughts snapped back to me, and with surprise, I realised, that even a second hadn't passed yet.

"Ron." - I said, and snapped my fingers, - "Kill 'em."

Sudden expression of relief on his face was extremely surprising to me. That, and his precise kick. The guy closer to him smashed into the wall with inarticulate scream. By the time second realised it, he already got three punches - in solar plexus, when he doubled over, in eye, and when his head snapped back, an uppercut in the chin. Ron stopped suddenly, and turned around. I stepped to the side as soon as I realised, what was going on, and now, I was behind the first guy, who in this time stood up. Test was already done, and I saw no further need to subject Ron to a fight - thus, I landed a kick in guy's back, in the kidney.

It was all over in a matter of seconds - former proud hoodlums were nothing but moaning heaps on the floor. I thought Ron deserved something for his efforts.

"Good job, Ron." - I said, and stepped close to him, face to face, - "And now, for a reward..."

His eyes bulged out comically, when I slipped my hand behind his head and gave him a good long wet kiss. I swear, he must be going to beat some kind of blush record - because he blushed in this whole day more times then I - in whole life. Suddenly his pocket popped open, and out climbed his pet, saying something teasing in his chitter-chatter. I frowned.

"Hey there, little teaser! Will you please lay off Ron for now?! I think he earned all what he got, in spades." - I said to him. This thing blew me a raspberry, and dove back into his pocket.

Ron chuckled faintly, and patted his pocket - "Rufus always jokes about me, when I am talking to girls."

I shrugged, and tugged him out to popcorn stand.

"Ron, do you realise, that you've done nothing wrong? Hell, if you'd only been a little rowdier, you'd be the main hunk of our school!" - I explained to him.

He shook his head - "BonBon, I'm not stupid, and I can see, when people tell me lies. I..."

I jabbed my elbow under his chin, making him shut up.

"Ron, shut up, and listen to me." - I said, grabbing him by his arm, and yanking him so he would be standing facing me, - "You've been told that you're a loser for such a long time, that you actually believed in it yourself. But the truth is simple - you're not a loser. You just don't have anything to stand up for. You could never stand up for yourself, because you don't consider yourself any good. But you can see for yourself - you went through those two jerks like knife through butter. All you needed was someone to trust in you."

He signed, and rubbed his face - "I shouldn't have done that."

I slapped him.

"Say that again, and I will tear your face off. So I wasn't worth fighting for?" - I hissed.

He looked on me, shocked, then said - "I didn't meant it in that way, Bonnie."

"So in what way did you meant it?" - I asked him.

"I... hell, I don't know! I always been told that fighting won't solve anything!" - he snapped off.

"Losers invented this, Ron. Real men are able and willing to fight for what they want or like. Trust me, if you'd be willing to fight for that, you'd be the hunk of hunks - because you got looks and brawn. Some brain too, as a matter of fact. If only you'd be willing to use it more often, then you do." - I signed.

He rubbed his face again - "That's a lot of to swallow, BonBon."

I shrugged - "Take your time. Now, let's go get popcorn and go back - Tara must be worried by now."

And we did just that - got popcorn, and went cak to the car. As I predicted, Tara was worried. She was standing just outside of car.

"Whew, you're here. I almost went to look for you. What took you so long?" - she pouted.

"Sorry, Tara. We run in a little trouble there." - explained Ron.

"Little? Ron, stop putting yourself down. There were two jerks insulting me, and Ron took care of them." - I said.

Tara blinked, and nodded.

"Thank you, Ron. I'm sure Bonnie gave you something for your bravery, but I want to thank you too, for defending my best friend." - she said, and almost in the same motion as me, gave Ron a long wet kiss. Ron blushed yet again. I decided to spare him of nosebleed from all that blushing, and nudged him in the car.

The rest of movie was relatively calm, althrough both Tara and I snuggled to Ron, and watched movie like this. I liked how movie ended - protagonist actually became a big hero, and his best friend dumped the jock and came back to him - but he turned her down, because he was with his former nemesis who helped him to pull through this. I hoped it would give Ron some push in right direction.

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TRIO

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I walked in the school door in unusually cheery mood - I usually had those moods... Heck, all the time, after all that debacle, which ended up with me and Tara as lovers. Now I was even more so - because we with Tara had a field day with Ron's outlook and looks. After the movie happenings, we coached Ron for all week, and dragged him out clothes-shopping on Saturday. I'll never forget Mrs. Stoppable's facial expression, when we showed up on Stoppable's porch and asked for Ron. On the other hand, that at least doubled his finances - his mom said that she was sure now, that Ron'll get some fashionable clothes. We weren't going to deviate much from his usual appearance, but after we made Ron take off his shirt, we were surprised to learn that he had broader shoulders, then we thought. He just stooped.

The end result was hunky-scary - crewcut, shades, dog tags, olive shirt, camo pants, Doc Martens and fingerless gloves. We put a duct-tape to connect his shoulders for a weekend, to correct his posture and make him used to walking in his full height. It was an experiment - me or Tara were going to hang out around him all this week, and encourage him subtly not to take shit from anyone. We also chose him a few other outfits - plain jeans & various t-shirts, black jeans & bordeaux pullover combo, grey silk shirt&pants combo and beach trunks, over which we had to lure and coach him out of changing booth for five minutes.

All in all, we were going to make an eye candy out of Ron - and we already tested him out on Monique. She didn't recognised him. She pulled Tara aside, and grilled her over who's boyfriend he was - mine or Tara's. When Tara, who was practically bursting from laugh, told her, that he's not claimed by any of us yet, Monique nearly asked him out - and she would've, if Ron hadn't taken off his shades. We with Tara laughed for five minutes non-stop, so flabbergasted Monique was.

That happened on Sunday, when we were just crawling over the town, looking for a decent hang-out. And I knew, that by Monday, all kinds of rumours about Ron would already be over the school.

I walked down by the corridor, I was happy, and nothing could spoil my mood... Nah, I wish. It got spoiled very quickly. Kim pulled me aside before lunch.

"Look, Bonnie, I want to say I'm sorry for that... Well, you know. I didn't meant it, I was just too surprised. Can we... you know... talk this over?" - she said. Huh? Talk this over? After two weeks? Heck, Kim, are that self-assured?

"Talk? What about?" - I asked. I didn't knew, what was her game now, but I wasn't going to play into her hands.

"You know. About what you said." - Kim said again.

"Possible, be specific. Say, what do you want to talk about, or be gone." - said impatiently. I really didn't wanted to delay myself with Kim. She was a part of past, I was well over her.

"You know." - she repeated stubbornly.

"Look, either you'll say me flat out, what do you want, either I'll be going. I don't have all day, and I plan to eat my lunch - I don't need to skip it like somebody." - I said acidly.

"I want to talk about what you said then. That you love me." - she said.

I snorted - "Kim, you don't expect me to fall for it, do you? After you tried to slap me down once, I wouldn't be saying that even if I had some romantic feelings towards you. Just for your information, through - the only thing I feel about you right now is annoyance. Now, if you'll excuse me... I'll head to cafeteria - gotta keep tabs on hot guys. I heard Ron turned a real hunk last week. Not that I believe it, but it it's so, then whoever done this to him deserves Nobel prize."

I brushed past Kim and went to cafeteria, ignoring the burning glare on my back. In cafeteria, my mood instantly improved, over the sight of Ron, in all his newfound glory, being ogled by girls. He was chatting with Tara, and I could sence the question in air.

As I came to the table, both Ron and Tara gave me a warm meeting. That done, we sat down, and ate. Ron finished with his food much faster then we did, much to his chagrin, so we went to dump his trey. He had to pass by the jock table, and I expected some kind of trouble from them. Surprisingly, he passed without a glitch. But as soon as I decided, that it went fine, I heard snickering, and saw Ron returning back - and Brick, ready to stick out foot. That wasn't looking too good, and I was about to intrude, when I caught Ron's glance on Brick. Did he knew?!

Stuck in some sick fashination, I watched, as Ron came closer and closer - and how Brick suddenly stuck out his foot. Now, by scenario, Ron had to trip and look like a total geek - only he wasn't following scenario anymore. Crunch and yell were heard, as Ron's boot planted solidly on Brick's foot, and I clearly saw, as it turned slightly, grinding foot to the ground. Brick shot up, as Ron steped aside, and danced on other foot, clutching his injured limb and swearing to bury Ron upside down on the spot.

"Hey, sorry about that, Brick. Guess you shouldn't put your feet out from under the table, right?" - said Ron almost mockingly. His lips curled in a small sadistic smirk, and frankily, I wasn't blaming im any bit. Brick stopped swearing, and limped to Ron, so they were face to face. (Coincidentally, with his back turned to me.)

"You think you're cool now, geekface?" - he asked, - "Well, let me give you something for extra coolness!"

I pointed on Brick and made slash-throat sign to Ron, as Brick balled his fist and swung in Ron's face. Now Ron allowed himself a full-sized sadistic smile, as he stepped to the side, caught and twisted Brick's arm behind his back, making him turn around, and slammed his knee in Brick's spine, releasing arm in the same time. End of fight - the only way to stand up after this in next five minutes would be to star in third-rate karate movie.

People around cafeteria began whispering around worriedly and amnimatedly, when Ron, without even waiting for Brick to stand up, strolled away, took his seat, and started talking to us like nothing happened.

"Nice work, Ron. Now they'll try to gang up on you, through." - I said.

He once again smiled sadistically - "Let them. I'm itching to bust some limbs. Never knew it could feel so good."

Tara shrugged and wrinkled her nose - "It's called wargasm."

Me and Ron both stared on her in surprise. She continued, like nothing happened - "Don't go looking to fight, Ron. It feels less and less cool and more and more boring each time."

Ron shrugged - "I'm not going to. But I feel that I'll have to fight some more before they leave me in peace."

He suddenly buried his face in hands. I reached over and patted his shoulder.

"What's the matter, Ron?" - asked Tara cautiously.

He groaned - "If only I had the guts to do this before."

I signed - "Well, Ron..."

Tara smiled - "Relax, Ron. Maybe you had to do this a long time ago - but does it really matters now?"

He shrugged, and looked on her - "I'm just angry on myself."

I nodded to him - "Welcome to world of self-loathing, Ron."

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I was going to the lockers in solitude - Tara had to go to school library to return a book, and Ron wasn't in my last class, so I was going to find Ron, and get him to go and meet Tara at the library, from where we'd start our track for today. We planned this, but our plan had at least ten loose minutes for me, so I didn't hurried anywhere.

All I had to do was round the corner to arrive on the place, and I was going to do this, when I heard voices bfom behind the corner. As soon as I recognised the conversionalists' voices, and heard the topic of talks, I crept to the corner, and started listening, sending silent prayers to whatever deity stopped me from going around the corner.

Kim's tone of voice made me frown, and her words weren't a source of thrill either.

"...What were you thinking? Why did you had to pull this stunt? You know what, it's the last time I'll be getting you out of this kind of trouble. Next time, I'll just allow you to get what you deserve. Why couldn't you just stay away from them?" - my first impulse was to run around the corner and scratch bitch's eyes out, second was to break her some bones, and rip out her tongue, and third had something to do with janitor's closet, longest mop I'll be able to find and her ass. I restrained myself, not without difficulties, through. But I had long enough practice to hold myself in hands.

"Look, KP, I'm a human being too. Why the heck can't they stay away from me?" - I heard Ron's reply.

Kim snorted mockingly at him - "Ron, new clothes and haircut won't make you any cooler then you are!"

I could practically feel Ron blink, because I blinked too. What the hell was that about?!

"What do you mean, KP?" - he asked slowly, - "Are you trying to say that I am loser?"

"No, not in that sence, but, you're just not cut to be cool. Ron, it's not you, I'm worried, and now jocks are going to beat the snot out of you." - she said hurriedly. I balled my fists. Ooh, Kim, you're so going to get it!

Ron was getting angry too - "KP, I can take care of myself!"

Kim snorted - "Oh yeah? How many times I had to pull your butt out of trouble? Listen, Ron, you're just being fooled. And I know, by whom. It was Bonnie, who talked you into this, right? Well, she's doing it just to get back on me."

Ron asked suspiciously - "Get back for what?"

Kim huffed - "For being a decent girl, that's for what! I refuzed to have sex with her, and she started messing with your head, because she couldn't get back on me directly."

If I was seething before, now I was in red-hot rage.

"Are you sure, KP? I heard different story." - said Ron seriously.

"Listen for yourself." - said Kim, and I heard click.

"...some romantic feelings towards you." - it was my own voice. Goddamned bitch taped me on dictophone! Well, there's simple cure for that. I couldn't spare a second. I walked around the corner, just as Kim clicked off her dictaphone. She scrambled to put it back in pocket. I sweetly smiled to her.

"Fancy hearing myself from your hands, Key Pee." - I said, - "Maybe you'd be so kind to roll the whole conversation?"

Ron nodded to me - "Hello, BonBon. What is this all about? It was your voice, wasn't it?"

I nodded back - "Yeah, she played you a part of my explanation, about what I think about her attempt to imply, that I have 'some romantic feelings towards her'."

Kim gave me a grin - "Let's see, what other people will think about that little snippet of info, shall we?"

I smiled back - "Sure!"

With that, I whipped my right hand out of pocket, and pressed a button. Discharged ionistor nearly have me a burn, and I grabbed my device in left hand, waving right in the air, and swearing. Both Kim and Ron were looking on me weirdly.

"Damned ionistor." - I muttered, and dropped device awkwardly in my right pocket with left hand.

"What the hell was that?" - asked Kim, being too surprised for time being. Come on, who woudln't be surprised at girl in middle-late teens, whipping out a Magical Glowing Stick.

I snorted - "Don't tell me you never saw EMP discharger before."

Kim swore and whipped out dictophone.

I chuckled - "Oops, sorry for inconvenience. Seems like you're out of luck today - your dictophone had dead battery."

She clicked buttons several times, but nothing - dictophone was silent. She suddenly laughed - "Oh, so not drama! I'll just put in new batteries and let everybody hear it tomorrow. And you can't do a thing about it, BB!"

I shrugged - "Key Pee, freshen up on physics of electricity, will you? Oh, and don't bother with new batteries. Your tape now has only static on it."

Ron stated - "You both are crazy."

"Shut up, RON!" - Kim's yell nearly made my ears bleed. Ron cringed, then said - "Fine, I'm gone. I'll see you at the library, BonBon."

With that, he went away quickly.

I cast condolencing glance on Kim - "Bye, Possible, I'm gone too. And I honestly advocate you to leave me alone. I don't want a civil war in the cheerleader squad, but if you'll try something like that in public, I'll be forced to take countermeasures. By the way, just so you'd know - the most popular rumour right now is that YOU are lesbian, and I refuzed to be your plaything, so you try to put me down because of that."

I leaned closer to her, and whispered - "After all, male population of school knows, that I do LIKE boys. Mind if I give Ron a sample of my 'liking', by the way?"

I snickered, evaded slap, and skipped after Ron, ignoring Possible and whatever she else she had in mind. I was expecting her to try something - without an actual reason, why. I acted on gutteral feeling, and it said clearly, that Kim is holding a continent-sized grudge, and wants to strike me down. She must be a homophobe, after all - I couldn't see any other reason, why she would be so inclined on revealing me as a lesbian. Because of her, I had to wear clothes with big pockets - so my devices would fit in. I had scrambler, EMP discharger (Which I had to recharge as soon as possible, by the way.), modified cell-phone, and 'culikovka' - roller aerial from russian military radio, very dangerous thing in a fight. Perhaps, the last thing was an overkill, but I prefered to have something up my sleeve just in case. All in all, there wasn't anything visibly illegal in my pockets... Well, at least to the first sight. I had the habit of putting my devices in suitable parts of old toys, so would some cop make me turn out my pockets, he was most likely to think that I had a lapse of infantility, to fill my pockets with toys like SailorMoon Magic Moon Stick.

I caught up with Ron half-way to library.

"Hey, Ron, sorry about that. Kim's gone a little psycho lately." - I said.

He shook his head - "It's like she was abducted, and replaced by an alien from Snob planet."

I signed - "Just my luck. As soon as I began wanting to bury the hatchet, she just had to start this champaign against me. What's funny, it's like we are changing places."

Ron shrugged - "I kinda get the same feeling, BonBon. It's weird, really - I noticed that it's easier for me to spend time with you and Tara, then with her."

I quipped - "Well, why's that?"

He didn't said anything, until we reached the library. Almost at the doors, when I started to think that I was too pushy, he replied - "Well, it's kind of like this... You and Tara... Well, you both let me do things."

I shook my head, amased - "what do you mean, Ron?"

He stopped, and leaned on the wall at the doors - "I dunno, really. It's weird, actually..."

I came to him, and leaned on the wall just to his left, close enough to feel the presence. I dunno about him, but after talking with Kim, I wanted to feel somebody who'd cared about me. Or not hated, at least. I was bitchy in school a lot of times, but I was never actually hated by anybody before.

"What kind of things you are talking about, Ron?" - I asked.

"Well... Small things, actually... I mean, you trust me to do things and not mess up." - he said pencively.

"Mmm, go on." - I mumbled.

"Well... It's kind of weird, actually... It's just that, oh, I... I always thought, well... That I just don't give Kim enough, you know?" - he ventured, and shrugged, - "I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this. Hmm... Well, it's like this. When I do things for you or Tara, you'd hug me, or kiss me, or something else... And it's been surprising me, because..."

He stopped, and signed.

"Because Kim wouldn't do that?" - I murred.

"No!.. Well... Kinda." - I, despite my lazy mood, turned around, and looked on him - he always looked cute, when he blushed.

"Ron, there's nothing wrong with that." - I said cautiously. He shrugged again, but said nothing.

I decided not to say anything on that topic for time being.

"You know that Brick rounded up some jocks to 'talk' to you, and they are probabily waiting at the school gates?" - I asked.

He cracked his knuckles.

"I don't like it, but if that's what they want, it's their call. Is there a lot of them?" - he asked back.

I shook my head - "Not really. Expect three of them, including Brick, maybe four. Josh said plain out, that it's Brick's own business, and a lot of people agreed. You're lucky you got Brick after you - some people would like to see him slapped down. By the way, you ought to like this - most of cheerleader squad likes, that you are dropping 'being a loser', because you're kind of a member of cheerleader squad, too. Most guys choze to abstain, because both of cheerleaders, and because of a talk around school, that if Brick can't beat you, he's got no place ordering other guys around."

Ron nodded seriously - "Even with three of them, it's not going to be a cakewalk. I'll try, through. They're not monkeys, so I think I'll manage them. Uh... I case I won't, can I count on you to call the ambulance?"

I laughed - "Come on, Ron. Me and Tara will be with you, and we'll see so there's no monkey business going around. There's no way you'll lose to those guys - you know martial arts on my level, if not better."

He signed - "It still won't be a piece of cake."

I patted his cheek - "You'll pull through, Ron."

He was about so say something, when doors opened, and Tara came out, with among other library attendants. She spotted us and came, smiling, as always.

"Heya, guys! I'm ready to go." - she chirped.

I stood straight with groan and stretched my arms.

"Hi yourself, Tara. Let's go, Ron." - I said, stretching.

Ron grumbled something, but stood up straight as well, and said - "Hello, Tara. I'm ready, too."

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Tara pulled my arm, like she wanted to tear it off. I opened my eyes half-way, and mumbled - "Yeah, T?"

She whispered in urgent tone - "BonBon, what the hell happened last night? Why there's Ron in bed with us?!"

I shot up straight. True, there was Ron in the bed, just to my left. I shrugged.

"Well, T, I see... I suppose we got drunk together, to celebrate his yesterday victory, and managed threesome after... Oh well. Do you think it's a bother to you?" - I asked.

Tara blinked at me - "What do you mean?"

"Well, if you want to, you can go home, and I'll tell him, that he slept only with me. Or we can tell him, that he slept with both of us, if you want to." - I explained to Tara.

She shook her head - "BonBon, I'm just surprised. He's a good guy, and I was just surprised at what happened."

I nodded to her - "I'm surprised too. But I'll bet he'll be surprised much too. Anyway, let's wake him up, and see, what he will do."

Tara nodded and asked - "It seems like we'll be together now, at least until the school ends."

I smiled and shook Ron - "Yeah, T."

Tara put her arm around my shoulders, and shook her head, to sign me not to shake Ron anymore. Ron suddenly snapped his eyes open, and asked - "Huh?!"

"Welcome back to reality, Ron. And welcome to the Trio." - I said.


End file.
